Still loved, still missed, and very dear

One gloomy morning a week before - San Diego, Cikarang 

Those we love don't go away
They walk beside us every day
Unseen, unheard, but always near
Still loved, still missed and very dear

When reading the poem above, my mind drifted away eight months ago. My friend lying very weak and dying. It was late in the day and knew when I came, she tried to sit down to talk. I helped to carry her down from the bed to the couch on the side. She tried to say something with a hoarse voice barely audible. Finally I just heard a word of thanks. An expression of the most sincere gratitude that I have ever heard. And within two days later my dearest friend had died.

Today I am writing this short article because tomorrow is her forty nine birthday. Be a friend for twenty-four years, I have learned a lot of wisdom in her journey of life. Not always positive things but also about many difficulties. Not always a smooth path but rather in her difficult journey I learned a lot. I can do everything through him who gives me strength, she often said this favorite bible verse.

Our life really a journey that is fragile, short, and like the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown. But like my dearest friend life story, God put the meaning in her life. The meaning of our fragile journey, depends on one question, what are you seek in this life ..

My friend had found what she is looking for. How about us?

(special note for KA, AA, and PA)

sola experientia

Table Talk Ilustration

This month, Musafir thought about Sola Experientia by Martin Luther. In our journey of spiritual life, it is really important to have personal encounter with God. God himself is a living God that willing to walk with us, help us, hear our pray in daily life..

In one of Martin Luther’s Table Talks, he said, “sola experientia facit theologum.”

The use of experience, or in this sense, personal encounter in understanding the Bible as a locus in theology is gaining more supporters of late. The pressure of understanding the Bible in high academic standards can put experientia aside. Luther reminded his students and friends to find the real message, not only through academic training, but also through prayer, meditations and personal encounter with God.

Of course this experiential journey with God - based on the solid the other sola like sola scriptura, sola fide, sola Cristos, sola gracia.

May God have mercy on us ..

The darkest, saddest psalm of all the Psalms - Psalm 88

Today in my devotion, Musafir learned about Psalm 88, which is the pulpit commentary said - This is the darkest, saddest psalm of all the Psalms.

Further Spurgeon gave his comment to Psalm 88 : 4 (quoted from www.spurgeon.org):

"For my soul is full of troubles. I am satiated and nauseated with them. Like a vessel full to the brim with vinegar, my heart is filled up with adversity till it can hold no more. He had his house full and his hands full of sorrow; but, worse than that, he had his heart full of it. Trouble in the soul is the soul of trouble. A little soul trouble is pitiful; what must it be to be sated with it? And how much worse still to have your prayers return empty when your soul remains full of grief. And my life draweth nigh unto the grave. He felt as if he must die, indeed he thought himself half dead already. All his life was going, his spiritual life declined, his mental life decayed, his bodily life flickered; he was nearer dead than alive. Some of us can enter into this experience, for many a time have we traversed this valley of death shade, aye and dwelt in it by the month together. Really to die and be with Christ will be a gala day's enjoyment compared with our misery when a worse than physical death has cast its dreadful shadow over us. Death would be welcomed as a relief by those whose depressed spirits make their existence a living death.

Are good men ever permitted to suffer thus? Indeed they are; and some of them are even all their life time subject to bondage. O Lord, Be pleased to set free thy prisoners of hope! Let, none of thy mourners imagine that a strange thing has happened unto him, but rather rejoice as he sees the footprints of brethren who have trodden this desert before."

Whew .. for me this Psalm like an answer from God himself when we are in lot troubles. Indeed, He may permit good men to suffer in this journey of life.

(A contemplation in deep struggle from a life journey - August 2014)

Cenang Beach

Cenang Beach - Langkawi

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. This is the quote from Albert Enstein. I like this quote, but when I am in travelling to Cenang Beach - Langkawi, Malaysia, no man riding bicycle but I found these four man running in the hot daylight. Rather than running, definitely I will prefer to take shelter under the shadow of coconut tree :)

But running has a good meaning to our life. From the health side, running may be make you healthy - of course if you do not have a serious heart problem. It will make unfavorable cholesterol decrease or loss your body fat. It is good, right?

But running is also related to a journey. If you are running, you need a destination. A goal, if it is a journey of life. Apostle Paul wrote in his book to the Corinthians : so I do not run aimlessly .. Indeed many people run aimlessly or no goal at all. Just flowing until realize that he or she run out of time. 

So what will I choose? I do not run aimlessly ..

June 2014

Jemima!

Kuala Namu - Medan

Ancol - Jakarta

Ubud - Bali

Salah satu cerita yang sangat memberikan inspirasi dalam kehidupan ini adalah kisah tentang Ayub dalam Perjanjian Lama. Dikasihi Tuhan tetapi justru dalam hal inilah dia diizinkan mengalami begitu banyak penderitaan sakit penyakit, kesedihan, dikutuki istrinya, dan ditinggal mati oleh anak-anaknya dalam satu malam saja.

Ketika mereka memandang dari jauh, mereka tidak mengenalnya lagi. Lalu menangislah mereka dengan suara nyaring. Mereka mengoyak jubahnya, dan menaburkan debu di kepala  terhadap langit. Lalu mereka duduk bersama-sama dia di tanah selama tujuh hari tujuh malam. Seorangpun tidak mengucapkan sepatah kata kepadanya, karena mereka melihat, bahwa sangat berat penderitaannya.

Perjalanan hidup adalah suatu journey; lebih besar maknanya dari sekedar travelling yang sering kita lakukan. Dalam perjalanan hidup seseorang, tercakup semua hal yang bahkan identik dengan hidup itu sendiri. Di dalam perjalanan ini pula kita bertemu dengan makna dari kehidupan. Ada yang begitu pahit tetapi ada yang memaknai kehidupan itu dengan begitu indahnya.

Bagaimana dengan Ayub?

Setelah Perjanjian Lama menyebutkan kalau penderitaannya sangat berat, Ayub dipulihkan oleh Tuhan. Kemudian lahirlah anak-anak Ayub. Biasanya nama yang dipilih bagi anak, dipikirkan matang-matang oleh orang tuanya, apalagi dalam dunia Perjanjian Lama, nama yang diberikan untuk seorang anak seringkali mengandung arti yang dalam. Anak perempuan pertama yang lahir bagi Ayub (setelah penderitaan itu) dinamakan Jemima, yang salah satu artinya adalah kehangatan. Nama yang muncul setelah perjalanan hidupnya selangkah lebih jauh lagi akan pengenalan terhadap Tuhan, Sang Pencipta ..

Dari nama Jemima tsb, kita dapat mengerti bagaimana Ayub memaknai kehidupannya selepas penderitaan yang berat itu ..

Bagaimana pula dengan kita?

Traffic Jam

Karang Tengah, Jakarta - January 2014 - BB10 Camera

If you live in Jakarta, this word seems familiar to us. Yes traffic jam. We will bored and sleepy, like me now in the shuttle bus that trapped in the terrible jam.

But actually there are many other "jams" in our live. The congestion in our blood circulation that affect to stroke condition. Problems in our relationship with other people, may be within our family, colleagues, friends, or neighbour. So "jams" may cause serious problems.

No so easy to relief the problems. Our government until now can not find the solution to traffic jam. Many efforts, ideas, studies that try to solve this but the implementation needs courage and involvement from many related departments. Also if we talk about the potential problem in our blood circulation. We need to control our meal, do some exercises, decrease the stress condition that give bad influence to our daily routines.

On the other side, if we talk about difficulties in relationship matter, it is also complicated to be solved. We need to find out the root of the problem. Admit it and willing to open the communication.

But above all of this congestion that we experience in our daily life, there is the most profoundly issue that should we consider. The relationship with our Creator. Dry? Even do not care? He is there and we are here? In my today thought, may be we even don't think about this type of relationship, but He is there and always care to us.. even to bad people, He still do care, giving them raining and sunshine year to year. So may we open the relationship to Him in intimate prayer that start with: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done ...

Under the Sun - Paradox of Journey

It's already a new year.. 2014!
Have any plan about your journey in this year? Are you excited to greet this year?

Soekarno Hatta (Jakarta) in the morning - Nikon D90 - f1/160

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein

Just read this Einstein Quote. Every path of our life is a journey but .. Is every journey a miracle ? Or just an ordinary path, routine and even boring, no meaning at all?

King Salomo in Ecclesiates have said:
    What has been will be again,
    What has been done will be done again;
    There is nothing new under the sun.

You may see the sun in my Soekarno-Hatta picture. Is it a new sun? Of course not! It's the same sun as the previous years. Nothing new at all. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The thing that has been; it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.

Then, I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the sun. Where is the enjoyment of human mankind in every journey, that he or she plan? I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a striving after the wind and a feeding on wind.

All is vanity! Remember in our heart, dear of my friends - all works that are done under the sun - all is vanity! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.

Except ..

There is a new meaning from above the sun. New Enjoyment if we remember our Creator and fear of Him. This is a paradox of our journey. Enjoyment must be linked to the Fear. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of the wisdom, isn't it?

So journey under the sun must be connected to the above of the sun.



He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. (King Salomo)